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Last week, Heritage Montreal released a list of Montreal’s threatened sites. Here’s a look at the city’s unique architectural landscape that future generations might not get to see and appreciate. For details of each site, please click on the link under each picture.

Now this is an amazing idea! Montreal will be hosting its first ever Timeraiser event on Thursday April 12, 2012 at Marché Bonsecours. What is this Timeraiser event you ask? It’s a “silent auction” where people bid on artwork not with money but with volunteer hours to local agencies. About 20 works of art by Montreal artists are up for auction, all paid in advance by various sponsors. The goal is to reach the 20-40 demographic who are not used to volunteering, but who are interested in purchasing art. The person with the winning bid then has 12 months to complete his pledge in exchange for the artwork. The Volunteer Bureau of Montreal will be hosting a preview tomorrow evening at the Arts Café. For more information, please visit Timeraiser.

Don’t have plans for the weekend? Why not visit the Snow Village at Parc Jean-Drapeau? Want a unique winter experience? You can book a room at the village’s ice hotel or even spend the night in an igloo. If sleeping in frigid conditions is not your cup of tea, then stop by the Amarula Ice Bar during Happy Hour for a cocktail and enjoy the music by Guest DJs. Or you can make a reservation at the Pommery Ice Restaurant or enjoy the heated spas. There is even an Ice Chapel for all those who dream of a White Wedding! There are also tons of activities for the whole family like the snow sculpture exhibit, the snow labyrinth and the snow slide. The Snow Village will be open to the public until March 31st.

Lately, I’ve been talking a lot about Publicité Sauvage’s retrospective but forgot to mention that there’s also a book (in french) on sale. If you can’t make it to any one of the exhibitions or if you are interested in Montreal’s graphic arts scene, you can purchase Publicité Sauvage: 25 ans et demi online or at any Renaud-Bray bookstore in Quebec.

Last week, I talked about Publicité Sauvage’s 25-year retrospective and mentioned their exhibition at Café Campus. Their third installment is at the Écomusée du fier monde where one can see 40 social, community and political posters encouraging us to take action for a cause or to promote change in our society. Some of these posters go straight to the point with their message while most show the viewer that it is possible to illustrate a committed language in a beautiful and harmonious way. The works are on display until March 4th. To learn more about the Écomusée du fier monde, please visit their website.

Posters are a part of our daily life promoting various events and adding some color into our surroundings. This year, Publicité Sauvage, an advertising company, is celebrating their 25 years in the business. Founded by the artist Baudoin Wart in the early 80s to help promote Montreal’s underground cultural scene, Publicité Sauvage played a major role in legalizing public postering in the city in 1994 (before this date, flyposting had been illegal in Montreal). Instead of organizing one single exhibition to showcase all their work, they’ve decided to organize 15 exhibitions throughout the year in 15 different venues all over Montreal with the help of Marc H. Choko, professor of graphic design at UQAM. In total, 700 posters will be on display, representing different eras, styles and events that highlight Quebec’s cultural landscape of the past quarter century.

This weekend, you can visit the exhibition at Café Campus, on until February 29th (officially, but might be extended). Café Campus has been one of Publicité Sauvage’s oldest and most loyal clients, with its posters representing its unique signature. The 35 posters on display showcase events that were held in the club and represent a distinctly fun and inventive style, done with little means but fulfilling their function in attracting clients. Here are a few examples:

Today begins the 13th edition of Montréal en lumière, one of the largest winter festivals in the world. From the 16th to the 26th of February, Montreal will host a variety of activities at the Quartier des spectacles, offering a gastronomy and wine program that pairs the finest Montreal chefs with the greatest international culinary masters, and putting a spotlight on the arts (music, circus arts, song, theater, dance). The festival will close with the annual Nuit Blanche, inviting everyone to enjoy some 180 mostly free activities that include song and dance performances, exhibitions and installations. So don’t forget to catch a free outdoor show on Sainte-Catherine street, enjoy a food and wine tasting or try the free Milk Urban Slide, a 110-metre-long incline equipped with sound effects, multicoloured lighting and smoke effects! For the complete schedule, you can visit MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE.